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  • Air Force to Award Additional GPS III Satellite Contracts

    The U.S. Air Force plans to award multiple contracts for companies to demonstrate their ability to build GPS III satellites, according to a report by Mike Gruss of Space News.

    The Air Force expects to award the contracts — worth up to $6 million — during this calendar year. Lockheed Martin Space Systems of Denver is the current GPS III satellite contractor, building the first eight GPS III satellites. The first satellite is expected to launch in 2017.

    The GPS III program is nearly two years behind schedule.

  • Traqueur Unveils Autonomous Mobile Beacon Nano

    Traqueur Unveils Autonomous Mobile Beacon Nano

    Photo: TraqueurTraqueur, a French-based company in the field of advanced telematics, has introduced Nano, an autonomous mobile beacon for the protection of property and objects designed to optimize the potential of the Sigfox network.

    Nano uses radio and GPS to track indoor and outdoor location, has a battery life of three to five years and is named Nano for its compactness.

    In June 2014, Traqueur formed a strategic technical partnership with Sigfox, the sole operator of the global cellular network for the Internet of Things (IoT) and machine-to-machine communications.

    Nano displays functionalities of UHF direction finding, providing the ability to locate buried and hidden objects. It also has a high-sensitivity GPS module and an integrated antenna to transmit its position through the Sigfox network when the beacon moves.

    Nano’s roaming features open up prospects for international marketing.

    The development of Nano has received support from BPI Ile-de-France (Paris region).

    “Certified Sigfox Ready and provided with mixed UHF/GPS technology, the Nano beacon means that we can offer the widest range of technology solutions of the track and trace type on the market and can address new segments including merchandise and logistics, for example,” said Marc Verdet, CEO of Traqueur. “We are also accelerating our international development through distribution partnerships in every country with a SIGFOX network infrastructure.”

    “The development of this new beacon by Tracker, based on our network, is extremely innovative and shows the limitless scope for innovation that SIGFOX technology allows, “Stuart Lodge, Executive Vice President Global Sales at SIGFOX. “This technology gives by far the longest battery life on the market, a decisive advantage for applications such as the location of property. The solution developed byTraqueur, because it is very demanding, confirms the legitimacy of our technology wherever the SIGFOX network is deployed.”

    DiscoverTraqueur in forthcoming trade shows in France:

    · Flotte Auto meeting, March 19, 2015 – Palais Brongniart – Paris Stand B07

    · DLR Congress, March 26 & 27, 2015 – CNIT Paris – Stand 44

    · MtoM & Connected Objects show on April 1 & 2 – CNIT Paris – Stand E7 Conference: Innovation in value-added services around the IoT. Tracker Nano presentation workshop.

    · Intermat from April 20 to 25, 2015 – Paris -Nord Villepinte – Booth 6B022

  • Applanix Unveils Expanded Marine Product Portfolio

    Applanix Unveils Expanded Marine Product Portfolio

    Applanix has introduced an expanded portfolio of marine georeferencing and motion compensation solutions. Taking advantage of Applanix proprietary technology, the new line-up of marine products offers high-performance solutions to a broader cross-section of the hydrographic survey industry.

    All Applanix Marine products benefit from the optimal integration of GNSS and inertial observables, with access to Trimble GNSS technology for performance advantages.

    The Applanix POS MV Surfmaster.
    The Applanix POS MV Surfmaster.

    The announcement was made at Ocean Business 2015, an exhibition of more than 300 of the world’s leading manufacturers and service providers in the industry.

    “Advances in Applanix inertial technology enable us to offer the high performance levels we are known for at even more attractive price points. By introducing this new product portfolio, we are able to deliver solutions suited to all types of bathymetric mapping,” said Peter Stewart, director of Marine Products. “This revised product lineup demonstrates Applanix’ continued commitment to provide customers with options that best fit their budget and requirements.”

    At the entry level of the expanded product portfolio, Applanix introduced the new POS MV SurfMaster. Incorporating Applanix’s proprietary SmartCal inertial calibration techniques, POS MV SurfMaster delivers robust georeferencing for small platforms, both manned and unmanned. SurfMaster is fully supported by Applanix’ post-processing software POSPac MMS, and can deliver roll and pitch accuracy to 0.03 degrees, regardless of latitude or rate of vessel motion.  

    Applanix’ new marine product lineup also includes POS MV WaveMaster II and POS MV OceanMaster. Using newly developed inertial technology, POS MV WaveMaster II delivers performance equal to the well-established and proven WaveMaster E, but at a new lower price point. POS MV OceanMaster replaces the POS MV 320 E as the georeferencing and motion compensation solution of choice for the hydrographic professional, integrating next generation inertial sensors, which enable performance and pricing previously unavailable with this class of technology. POS MV OceanMaster provides reliable and robust surveying in even the most demanding sea conditions. POS MV Elite remains the ultimate option for users seeking the highest level of performance available to the industry.

    The new POS MV SurfMaster, POS MV WaveMaster II and the POS MV OceanMaster are available now worldwide through the Applanix sales channel.

  • Airbus Launches WorldDEM Digital Terrain Model

    Airbus Defence and Space has launched its WorldDEM Digital Terrain Model (DTM), a highly accurate standardized representation of bare Earth elevation that can be made available for any point on the globe. This addition completes the WorldDEM portfolio, enabling Airbus Defence and Space to provide both surface and terrain elevation information in support of global customer projects.

    WorldDEM DTM can be delivered for more than 90 Million km² of the Earth’s landmass.

    The WorldDEM DTM is derived from the WorldDEM product (Digital Surface Model) by removing all man-made features and vegetation. The quality of the original WorldDEM product combined with a sophisticated editing process guarantees highly precise and consistent terrain information, Airbus said. While surface features (such as built-up areas and vegetation) are reliably removed, characteristic terrain features such as ridge lines or mountain crests are preserved.

    DTM-DSM-Airbus

    The WorldDEM DTM provides an excellent foundation layer for a wide range of applications such as civil engineering (road design, earthwork calculation), the management of natural resources (such as flood modeling), mapping (such as derivation of contour lines) as well as military mission planning (vehicle trafficability analysis, 3D terrain visualization).

     WorldDEM is based on data acquired by the high-resolution radar satellites TerraSAR-X and TanDEM-X, which started synchronous data acquisition in December 2010 and completed coverage of the Earth’s entire landmass twice over in mid-2013. The satellites covered more complex terrain areas with a third and fourth acquisition campaign to ensure consistent high quality and accuracy of the final product. WorldDEM provides the first global, single-source, high-precision Digital Surface Model and has established a new standard of global elevation models.

  • U.S. Navy to Deploy Underwater Drones from Submarines

    U.S. Navy to Deploy Underwater Drones from Submarines

    remus-600-specifications-500x281
    The Remus 600 Unmanned Underwater Vehicle, made by Kongsberg Maritime, a Norwegian company.

    The U.S. Navy plans to deploy its first underwater drones from submarines later this year, according to a report by Military.com.

    The website quoted Rear Adm. Joseph Tofalo, the Navy’s director of undersea warfare, who said the deployment will include the use of the Remus 600 Unmanned Underwater Vehicles (UUVs) to perform undersea missions around the globe.

    Sailors carry a Remote Environmental Measuring Unit (REMUS) 100. (Credit: U.S. Navy)
    Sailors carry a Remote Environmental Measuring Unit (REMUS) 100. (Credit: U.S. Navy)

    “Now you are talking about a submarine CO who can essentially be in two places at the same time — with a UUV out deployed which can do dull, dirty and dangerous type missions. This allows the submarine to be doing something else at the same time,” Tofalo said. “UUVs can help us better meet our combatant command demand signal. Right now, we only meet about two-thirds of our combatant commanders’ demand signals, and having unmanned systems is a huge force multiplier.”

    The Remus 600 is a 500-pound, 3.25-meter-long UUV equipped with GPS, as well as dual-frequency side-scanning sonar technology, synthetic aperture sonar, acoustic imaging, and video cameras manufactured by Hyrdoid, a subsidiary of Kongsberg Maritime. The Remus 600 is similar to Bluefin Robotics UUVs, which were used to search for wreckage of missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370. Other applications include hydrographic surveys, harbor security, and environmental monitoring.

    In this video, Explosive Ordnance Disposal Mobile Unit One (EODMU-1) tests the Remus 600 to locate mines using autonomous guidance and advanced sonar.

     

  • Esri, Safe Software Release Common Framework for Electrical Utilities

    Esri and Safe Software have paired to develop and openly share a Common Information Model (CIM) template for data exchange. The template demonstrates one approach to translating network data from an Esri ArcGIS database into CIM XML format. The XML can then be shared with other enterprise systems.

    “The power behind a CIM is to provide a common language to share messaging among an electric utility’s information systems,” said Bill Meehan, Esri director of utility solutions.

    The CIM comes in the wake of power industry deregulation and smart grid emergence. Utilities now share core network data more frequently than ever, and a CIM facilitates this. With a common format, a utility can share information internally across its enterprise systems, externally with other utilities, and externally with organizations such as regulators and independent system and regional transmission operators.

    A CIM is based on the International Electrotechnical Technical Commission (IEC) family of standards, IEC 61970.

    The Esri-Safe Software model also promotes faster decision making internally when data can be moved quickly from geographic information system (GIS) technology — the system of record for network data at many utilities — to destination enterprise systems, such as DMS, AMI, SCADA, OMS, and WMS, the companies said.

    Users can download the template and test CIM XML data structures with their own data or a sample dataset that Esri and Safe Software provide. “With this template, we are providing another way for electric utilities to leverage their investment in Esri technology,” Meehan said.

    The template works off of Esri’s ArcGIS (version 10.1 service pack 1 [SP1] or higher) and Safe Software’s FME software (version 2013 or higher). The sample template consists of an FME workspace; an ArcGIS Data Interoperability extract, transform and load (ETL) tool; and a sample dataset to guide users through testing how the translation process works. All the tools are provided as open source so users can adapt them to their needs.

    “Utilities can use the template as a starting point for understanding how to translate data from an Esri database to the CIM XML structure to share with other enterprise systems,” Meehan said.

    After exploring the sample dataset, users can also work to configure the template to work with their own network data.

    Download the CIM translation template on GeoNet.

  • AUVSI Unmanned Systems Offers Demonstrations, Exhibits

    The Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI) will host Unmanned Systems 2015, which will run from May 4-7 at the Georgia World Congress Center Atlanta. With 8,000 attendees from around the world, Unmanned Systems 2015 is the largest expo and trade show in the industry, according to AUVSI.

    The event will include three days of interactive exhibits and exciting demonstrations of air and ground vehicles spread throughout 350,000 square feet of exhibit space. The 150-plus educational sessions, workshops, and panel presentations will focus on the future of commercial, humanitarian, environmental, governmental, and military applications for robotics and unmanned systems. For more information on the sessions, see AUVSI’s Program Planner. 

    This year’s conference will feature keynote addresses and panel discussions by:

    • Colin Guinn, chief robotics officer, 3D Robotics
    • Dave Vos, project lead, Project Wing @ GoogleX
    • David Vigilante, senior vice president, legal, CNN
    • Helen Greiner, CEO, CyPhy Works
    • Hugh Herr, MIT professor and head of biomechatroinics at the MIT Media Lab
    • Rep. Frank Lobiondo, New Jersey House of Representatives 
    • Henrik I. Christensen, distinguished professor, KUKA chair of Robotics, and director of the Robotics & Intelligent Machines Center, Georgia Tech

    For more information and a full agenda of events, visit www.auvsishow.org.

  • USGS Volunteers Help with Accurate Mapping

    Screenshot of the Tennessee Law Enforcement Facility Mapping Challenge showing the more than 440 edited points (green dots). At this scale, many dots contain more than one edited or verified structure.
    Screenshot of the Tennessee Law Enforcement Facility Mapping Challenge showing the more than 440 edited points (green dots). At this scale, many dots contain more than one edited or verified structure.

    Volunteer mappers continue to make contributions to ability of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) to provide accurate mapping information to the public. Recently, volunteers were asked to update all of the law enforcement structure points in Tennessee. The volunteers answered the call and added, verified, edited or deleted 440 points.

    All of the points were quality checked by either a peer reviewer or an advanced editor, so the data was ready to go into the National Geospatial Program’s web-based The National Map at the conclusion of the USGS Mapping Challenge.

    The volunteer additions and edits will be symbolized on US Topo maps during the next production cycle for Tennessee, slated for 2016.

    Mapping Challenges, conducted by the National Map Corps, ask volunteers to concentrate on specific areas and structure types that need updating. They encourage volunteers to remain engaged and incentivize participation. Once a need is determined, a call to action goes out to the volunteer corps with information on the geographic location and the type of structures that need updating. Volunteers who participate can earn a series of virtual recognition badges and are recognized on social media and the Map Corps project site.

    Using crowd-sourcing techniques, the National Map Corps encourages volunteers to collect manmade structures data in an effort to provide accurate and authoritative spatial map data for The National Map. Structures being updated include schools, hospitals, post offices, police stations and other important public buildings.  

    “At times, locating structures seems similar to solving puzzles or detective work,” commented fconely, a Challenge veteran and one of the project’s more active participants.

    Tools on TNMCorps project site explain how a volunteer can edit any area, regardless of their familiarity with the selected structures. Volunteers can register by going to The National Map Corps Editor.

    The most recent status graphic showing the number and density of The National Map Corp submitted edits or verification for the past three years.
    The most recent status graphic showing the number and density of The National Map Corp submitted edits or verification for the past three years.

  • Dude Solutions Purchases GIS Provider Mobile311

    Dude Solutions Inc., a software-as-a-service (SaaS) provider of operations management solutions, has acquired Mobile311, a GIS and mobile mapping solution provider. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

    The Mobile311 acquisition allows Dude Solutions to address the growing requirements of state and local governments, particularly those with public works needs, as well as universities and other entities that manage spatial and distributed assets, Dude Solutions said. Dude Solutions will now offer a comprehensive web-based and mobile operations solution that enables these organizations to more effectively manage both their facilities as well as assets at-large.

    “Mobile311 has built a powerful, patent-pending GIS and mobile application that aids in spatial and linear asset management — along with a growing client base,” said Kent Hudson, CEO of Dude Solutions, Inc. “Previously, spatial asset management software has been reserved for the largest cities and counties and, with this acquisition, Dude Solutions is democratizing GIS technology for any size local government client as it has with cloud-based facility management solutions.”

    Dude Solutions will offer Mobile311 GIS tools that extend the power of Dude Solutions’ offerings into clients’ spatial asset management programs. Mobile311 clients will have access to Dude Solutions’ innovations and product delivery and support. The platform allows mobile workers to access work orders and other critical geographic data in the field while giving supervisors additional reporting and analytical insights for increased efficiency.

    “There is a growing movement to utilize the power of mobile to better manage the complexities of operational asset management. With this acquisition, together we can provide the very best mobile GIS and mapping product in the market combined with Dude Solutions world-class delivery and support,” said Chuck Wright, president of Mobile311. “Building on our collective knowledge base of the operational must-haves for success, the combined organization will be a powerhouse in the marketplace.”

    Mobile311 is Dude Solutions’ second acquisition since it announced a growth investment of up to $100 million from Warburg Pincus, a global private equity firm focused on growth investing, in February 2014. The Mobile311 team has joined Dude Solutions and will now operate from Dude Solutions’ headquarters in Cary, N.C. In March, Dude Solutions acquired Windmill Software.

  • Epson Unveils 17-Inch Wide Professional Printer

    The Epson SureColor P800 printer.
    The Epson SureColor P800 printer.

    Epson has announced the SureColor P800 printer, which it says represents a new benchmark in photographic print quality. Designed for professional use, the SureColor P800 is a full 17-inch wide borderless printer with Epson MicroPiezo AMC printhead technology. Leveraging an all-new Epson UltraChrome HD eight-color pigment ink set, the SureColor P800 is capable of producing the next generation of color and black-and-white prints, Epson said.

    “We understand how important it is for our printers to produce exceptional output that not only accurately conveys a photographer’s vision, but also delivers on the promise of longevity,” said Larry Kaufman, product manager, Professional Imaging, Epson America. “The SureColor P800 redefines the 17-inch photographic printing market, providing robust photo, fine art and canvas media handling capabilities, all focused on delivering stunning exhibition-quality prints that stand the test of time.”

    The SureColor P800 features advanced media handling, including a sheet feeder for photo or matte media, and a front-in and front-out paper path for printing on thicker fine art papers and poster board. An optional 17-inch wide roll paper adapter is ideal for canvas and longer print lengths of up to 10 feet for creating panoramas. Along with individual 80 ml high-capacity ink cartridges, the SureColor P800 is designed for professional use at home or in the studio.

    Details on the SureColor P800
    The SureColor P800 offers these features:

    • UltraChrome HD Ink: Pigment ink technology delivers outstanding color with improved black density and print permanence.
    • Professional Features: Advanced black-and-white print mode for professional-level neutral or toned black-and-white prints.
    • True Productivity with High-Capacity Ink Cartridges: Nine 80 ml ink cartridges with auto-switching photo and matte black ink.
    • Advanced Media Handling up to 17-Inches Wide: Print on fine art and roll papers and create panoramas more than 10 feet long; front-in and front-out paper path for media and poster board up to 1.5 mm thick and optional rear-mounted 2 or 3-inch core roll feeders.
    • Modern Case Design: Professional look and feel; compact printer design optimized for desktop placement.
    • Connectivity: USB 2.0, Ethernet, Wireless N, Wi-Fi Direct, Apple AirPrint and Google Cloud Print support.

    The SureColor P800 will be available for purchase in June through authorized resellers; pricing follows:

    Epson SureColor P800

    $1,295.00 MSRP

    Optional Roll Paper Adapter

    $199.95 MSRP

    UltraChrome HD 80 ml Ink Cartridge

    $59.95 MSRP

    The printer is supported by a one-year, whole-unit-exchange, limited warranty plan, and specialized technical support staff.

     

  • Fifth Galileo Colloquium Planned for October

    Fifth Galileo Colloquium Planned for October

    Galileo satellite signals. (Image credit: ESA)
    Galileo satellite signals. (Image credit: ESA)

    The fifth International Colloquium on Scientific and Fundamental Aspects of the Galileo Programme will be held in Braunschweig, Germany, Oct. 27–29.

    Since 2007, the worldwide scientific community has met every two years to discuss the scientific possibilities of Galileo and other Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS).

    This colloquium will bring together members of the European scientific community and their international partners involved in the use of GNSS signals in their research, specifically Galileo signals. Major academic players will meet with institutional and industrial executives to share innovative ideas and influence the future evolution of Europe’s own GNSS.

    The colloquium focuses on four major areas of research:

    • Scientific applications in meteorology, geodesy, geophysics, space physics, oceanography, land surface and ecosystem studies, using either direct or reflected signals, differential measurements, phase measurements, radio occultation measurements, using receivers placed on the ground, in aircraft or on satellites.
    • Scientific developments in physics, dealing with future GNSS, particularly in testing fundamental laws in astronomy and in quantum communication. Relativistic reference frames and relativistic positioning will be addressed — also taking into account the scientific opportunities in tracking the first two Galileo Full Operational Capability satellites in their elliptical orbits.
    • Aspects of metrology such as reference frames, onboard and ground clocks, and precise orbit determination.
    • Scientific aspects of satellite navigation and positioning such as signal propagation, tropospheric and ionospheric corrections and the means to model and mitigate multipaths and interference.

    The various possibilities to use navigation satellites such as Galileo for scientific purposes will be reviewed, and the contribution of scientific applications to making the most of the present systems and defining their evolution will be scrutinized.

    For those interested in submitting papers, online submission of abstracts opens May 15 through the colloquium website, where other details of the event can also be found.

  • Telit GNSS Module Enables High-Performance Position Reporting

    Telit's Jupiter SE868-V3 module.
    Telit’s Jupiter SE868-V3 module.

    Telit Wireless Solutions has released a new GNSS module, the SE868-V3. The positioning module combines GPS, GLONASS, Beidou, Galileo and SBAS, which enables the creation of high-performance position reporting and navigation solutions.

    The SE868-V3 can navigate to -162 dBm and track to -166 dBm, providing improved performance in harsh environments. It is pin-to-pin compatible with the former SE868-V2 as well as the JF2. This advanced GNSS module can track GPS and GLONASS or GPS and Beidou constellations simultaneously and it is Galileo-ready.

    The 11 x 11 mm QFN package contains a powerful baseband processor, SQI Flash memory and GNSS chip with integrated low noise amplifier (LNA). The ultra-sensitive RF front-end enables multi-GNSS indoor fix and high-quality navigation in challenging outdoor scenarios such as dense urban areas, Telit said.

    In addition, the SE868-V3 supports ephemeris file injection (A-GPS) as well as Satellite-Based Augmentation System (SBAS) to increase position accuracy. Its onboard software engine is able to locally predict short-term ephemeris starting from data broadcast by GNSS satellites received by the module and stored in the internal Flash memory.

    “The SE868-V3 is yet another addition to our positioning product portfolio, which is the result of over 20 years of experience in GNSS applications,” said Felix Marchal, chief product officer, Telit. “Our products are compatible with the GPS constellation as well as its Russian counterpart GLONASS and China’s Beidou.”